Town Square

COMMENTARY: Staples Ranch on hold again

Original post made
on Feb 13, 2009

For investors, owners and representatives for organizations that have waited patiently for years to win approval of their multi-million-dollar developments planned for the 124-acre Staples Ranch, last week's inaction by the Pleasanton City Council was disappointing, to say the least.

Posted by Jeanie
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 13, 2009 at 8:16 am

ARE YA KIDDING ME???!!!

I actually drove down EAST STONERIDGE DRIVE on Tuesday to see what the hubbabalu was all about - I AM SHOCKED -
The road CLEARLY was meant to finish - my view was WALLS along the STONERIDGE side to create a noise barrier - median strips to clarify the traffic lanes - it looks like a well thought out PLAN TO EXPAND when the time was right.
Now, I'm just a resident that had no need to travel that way BUT from my point of view - it should have been CLEAR - I mean CRYSTAL CLEAR - that this road was meant to be finished and not end in a shut off dead end with wooden barriers - come on - this development is far too important to OUR city for all this squabbling.

Posted by Tom
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Feb 13, 2009 at 9:39 am

The Staples Ranch project will be approved, to include the extension of Stoneridge Drive by a vote of 3-2. I hope Cindy McGovern will make it 4-1, but I doubt it. Sullivan will remain an obstructionist as usual to anything getting passed.

Posted by Tim
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Feb 13, 2009 at 10:33 am

Sullivan's delays are going to end up costing the city millions of dollars at a time we can ill afford it. Stoneridge Drive was always meant to go through, and we need the traffic relief it will bring the rest of the city, as well as the economic benefit Staples Ranch will provide. I hope folks remember Sullivan's tactics during the next election.

Posted by AVHS Dad
a resident of Stoneridge Park
on Feb 13, 2009 at 10:33 am

My home backs to Stoneridge Drive and from the time we first looked at the model homes to today, it made and makes obvious sense to extend Stoneridge Drive. I don't see how Stoneridge traffic would be any worse there than from (Stoneridge Dr) 680 to Santa Rita. Complaining about the extension is the same as compaining about the airport. We knew the airport was there. We knew the double lanes were there. Get over it.

How about posting your name. I doubt anyone on Huff Dr (which backs onto Stoneridge) would say that Stoneridge should be put through to Livermore at this time without conditions. Its easy to post anonymously and say what you like.

That said. I agree, I've lived here over five years and I expected and I want Stoneridge to go through.

Since I moved here though the traffic situation on 580 has become incredibly worse. I believe there should be a regional agreement and Scott Hagerty should cut the ribbon on the same day that 84 opens four lanes, Dublin Blvd goes to Vasco, and Stoneridge goes to Jack London.

In the meantime, build Staples Ranch, a Hendricks Motors, ice skating rink and a park. Just leave the emergency access until all the projects are ready. If that is 24 months or 48 months, it is not fair for Haggerty to ask any residential neighborhood to take the traffic burden. Also how about fixing the plan to put El Charo through to Stanley at the same time.

And to the people in the Mohr and Valley neighborhoods who think this will help, be careful what you wish for. My GPS shows that Kamp and Kolln streets connect cars on Stoneridge and Valley - while avoiding three traffic lights! The GPS doesn't show that it is 25mph, with traffic circles, or all the kids that play in the street there now.

For those of you who want a look at what Pleasanton traffic engineers and the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency believe the congestion delay will look like when Staples Ranch is developed with Stoneridge Dr. extended should take a look at the city's response to LAFCo (Item 16 on the Staples Ranch document list) dated July 18, 2008.

Look at the set of charts that are on the last 4 pages of that document. These charts have nothing to do with whether traffic is cut-through or not. It's just traffic and the service levels.

Of course, the Stoneridge Dr. extension has the most impact during the PM peak commute going east. No surprise there. Notice that with one exception, all Pleasanton intersections ("Project with Stoneridge Extension" column), either remain at a service level of "F" with increased delay, or become an "F". The exception is Hopyard & Stoneridge; it goes to an "E" or a "D" depending on whether or not the signals are timed. Notice aso that Santa Rita & Valley goes from an "E" to an "F" without timing, and remains an "E" with higher delay with timing.

The I580 Pleasanton ramps remains an "F" in almost all cases, AM or PM peak periods. The exceptions being Hopyard, Las Positas and Santa Rita. Those are either a "D" or an "E".

It's reality check for anyone who thinks extending Stoneridge Dr. is going to make traffic magically disappear on all other cross-town routes.

Posted by anonymous
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 13, 2009 at 6:44 pm

Does anyone think traffic will disappear? The cars will be here because surrounding cities are also developing.

People still come here to work and need a way to get home. People living in Pleasanton need to be able to travel through the city in a reasonable amount of time.

What Stoneridge will do is disperse the traffic throughout Pleasanton. I, too, drove down the street a number of years ago when I was trying to understand the issue. I expected to see homes with driveways opening onto the street, instead there are sounds walls and berms. It is clear to anyone who looks at the road that it was built to go through.

Posted by Paul
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 14, 2009 at 10:49 am

Welcome to the Pleasanton dam.
The busy beaver is persistent in its effort to thwart the flow, but will ultimately find another location to build. Why? Because in every society, there's some that will.

Anonymous said: "What Stoneridge will do is disperse the traffic throughout Pleasanton."

I urge anyone who continues to believe that traffic will diminish or be disbursed throughout Pleasanton to take a close look at the traffic engineering charts attached to the city's response to LAFCo regarding the Stoneridge Drive extension (Item 16 on the Staples Ranch document list, dated July 18, 2008).

The charts reflecting Pleasanton intersections, timed and untimed, are on page 6 of that document. These charts have nothing to do with whether traffic is cut-through or not. It's just traffic and the resultant service levels.

Compare the columns "Vacant Site No Stoneridge Extension" and Staples Ranch "Project With Stoneridge Extension". With the exception of the Hopyard & Stoneridge intersection, and with or without timing, every other intersection remains or becomes an "F" level of service, or, as in the case of Valley & Santa Rita timed, remains an "E" with higher delay.

The I580 Pleasanton ramps remains an "F" in almost all cases, AM or PM peak periods (pages 8 & 9).

Obviously, there is no traffic disbursement. It's rather a case of "build it and they will come".

Posted by fact checker
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 15, 2009 at 12:59 pm

This traffic study does not take into account the disbursement through out the region, only Pleasanton. We are a small part of a bigger picture.

When Stoneridge is open in conjunction with Dublin Blvd and Livermore roads there will be a disbursement throughout the region. In addition the intersections will get WORSE without Stoneridge. The traffic is not going away. Valley and Santa Rita will get worse and travel through out the city will suffer if there is not another outlet. Part of the agreement in moving the hospital was the presumption that a road would go through.

If Staples is not annexed to the City of Pleasanton there will still be development and it will come from Livermore. All of the tax revenue will also GO to Livermore.

Stoneridge was built to be a main route. All one has to do is drive down the street and it is clear. In addition, some of the people in that neighborhood would be relieved of some traffic since people would stop going down Kemp to Mohr to Koln to Valley to Stanley and would use Stoneridge instead. A portion of that neighborhood would actually benefit from the opening of Stoneridge.

Posted by Concerned
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 17, 2009 at 12:20 pm

The Stoneridge extension should have been completed years ago. We have let a small group of homeowners hold the entire city to ransom. This is a classic case of special interests controlling local politicians. Given the huge depression we are in we desperately need new developments.

Posted by Straightforward Politics? They are at it again!
a resident of Danbury Park
on Feb 19, 2009 at 3:07 pm

Is "Honest Politics" like "Military Intelligence"? A contradiction in terms.
I just got a mailed Notice of Public Hearing for The Stoneridge Drive Specific Plan, for a hearing Tuesday Feb 24 at 7PM.
But I am concerned because it appears to SEPARATE the matters into
A: Approval of the Staples Ranch Development,
then later
B: Consider whether extension of Stonridge should be part of the Staple Ranch Project.
Q. Does this mean they can/will approve Staples Ranch, then, when it no longer matters, finally open the floor to discussion of whether or not to provide us a way to get there?